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RF c06s03
Text After seventeen years spent in Helheim, Ardent Desire strode for the second time into the grand hall of the manse owned by Cupidus. Except this was no longer the Ardent Desire who had once been: it was an enormous and proud demon with a mane and tail of brightly-glowing flames, the runes over his horn seeming to pulse and the coat that covered his powerful body constantly shifting between reds, oranges, and yellows. He looked like he was made of fire and magma, and his red eyes glowed with resolve and power. Jaundice followed behind him with a proud smile on her features, head proudly raised as they approached the desk at the end of the aisle of scribbling demons, and Cupidus slowly looked up from his throne. His orange eyes seemed pleased behind his mask as he leaned forwards, murmuring quietly: "It seems you've had a change of heart since our last conversation, Ardent Desire." "That is no longer my name... I am Burning Desire." announced the stallion, and then he gave a wide grin as his eyes glowed, raising his head high. "And I suppose I've come to understand myself better, that's all." "Yes, I suppose you have." Cupidus looked thoughtfully down at the demonic stallion, seemed to hesitate... and then the Greed devil sat back and pulled one of his account books free, scanning it over before he made a few notes. Burning Desire shifted impatiently, but the Greed demon paid him no heed before he signed something in red ink and said calmly: "Very well. Everything is in order, and your potential worth has exceeded my expectations. Jaundice, I will have you reassigned, and tomorrow, Burning Desire, you will begin work in the archives. Mildred will bring you to your new quarters, and I will assign another demon to take over your training." "I... that's it?" Burning Desire said finally, and Cupidus simply nodded and closed the book as Jaundice bowed her head and turned around, striding away... but tossing a single, almost-longing look over her shoulder as a minotaur strode past her. "Wait, who's Mildred?" Something grabbed Burning Desire by the back of the neck and hauled him into the air, and the stallion yelped before he was hefted to head level with a ten foot, bull-headed behemoth. Burning Desire quailed a bit on instinct at the sight of the muzzle and mask locked tightly over the minotaur's features, and then he winced as he slowly drew his eyes down the rubber-like, blackened skin of the goliath, noting the torture implements, chains, and plates of metal fused all over the creature's body. "Oh. Uh. Hello there." Cupidus didn't bother with either a goodbye or even a verbal order, simply flicking his wrist, and Mildred calmly threw Burning Desire over one shoulder before carrying him easily away, the demonic stallion wincing and muttering to himself: "Well, that went smoother than planned, at least..." Truthfully, Burning Desire hadn't known what to expect from this meeting: his entire plan had consisted of swaggering in, pretending to have completely given in to his demonic nature and convincing Cupidus that he was a loyal pawn. Instead, Cupidus had given him a cursory glance and then apparently been satisfied enough to send him on his way via the large, scary monster he was currently being carried by. Burning Desire made a face as he crossed his forelegs moodily, figuring it was pointless to try and struggle at all in Mildred's grip. Besides, it gave him time to think about things, as his eyes roved back and forth and took in the luxury and beauty of the mansion, feeling the faintest hint of envy for the wealth and splendor that Cupidus lived in. But he quickly forced these emotions down, reminding himself of everything he had learned about the Greed devil after more than seventeen years in Helheim. Cupidus was apparently a major player in Helheim, who held influence over vast territories and had his claws in almost every business deal across the icy abyss. He was a broker, a banker, and an investor, with a knack for always finding the right business opportunity to pour his wealth into. He had also learned that years ago, Cupidus had been involved in a dispute with a powerful demon named Magister... a name that Burning had only heard the devil mention once before, and he thought even then it had been a rare slip of the devil's tongue. Magister had been a Pride demon who had refused to do business with Cupidus, and made a point of always choosing other Greed entities to help manage his assets. This had apparently caused Cupidus considerable frustration and even started to bite into his bottom line... until the day Magister had vanished, that was, and Cupidus had seized Magister's assets through bribery, blackmail, and abusing Hell's legal system. It still struck Burning as funny that Helheim actually had its own court system for solving both criminal and civil disputes. And the courts here were probably more fair and less corrupt than the ones on the mortal plane, as a matter of fact... but like any system, it had its flaws, too, and there were always loopholes to be exploited, and people to be twisted. Both things Cupidus was clearly skilled at doing. Burning Desire didn't know the whole truth yet behind what had happened: since he had spent ninety percent of his time being tortured or abused or reshaped, it made it hard to pursue leads or do research. But as his transformation into a demon had neared completion, Jaundice had allowed him a little more freedom, and Burning Desire had been able to do research in the ruins of what he supposed had once been some kind of school near the set of hovels where he and a bevy of Cupidus' other prisoners and servants lived. In life, Burning had never been much for magic, but that was partly because what he had always insisted on studying was demonic magic. But as a mortal, he'd never been able to fully replicate the effects of any spells, and after making his deal, well... he'd fallen out of practice thanks to all the physical delights that had come to occupy his time and attention. But now that he was a demon, the magic came to him naturally, and he was learning to use his clear affinity with fire for more and more complex work as well. And one particular trick he'd picked up was scrying though flames, letting him peek at events going on around Helheim... although he couldn't take full credit for it. Jaundice had actually helped him quite a bit, even if they had always kept each other at leg's length and neither considered the other more than an uneasy ally. One thing he'd learned only yesterday, while randomly scanning the territories he knew Cupidus owned for any important-looking demons. He had accidentally come across two of the Greed devil's lieutenants having a nervous conversation about a demon named Churlin, who was apparently another Greed demon and a loathed enemy of Cupidus. He had also heard them mention 'the Duke,' which he had learned by now was code for Magister: apparently Cupidus had hated this Pride demon so much that even now speaking his name was a punishable offense. Before Burning could contemplate any further, he was brought back to reality by Mildred kicking open a door before the minotaur simply flung him into the room beyond. The fiery stallion yelped as he bounced across the floor on his back until he crashed into the foot of the bed, and then he glared out at the minotaur, shouting: "Well thanks for the warning!" Mildred only looked at him darkly, the minotaur rumbling behind the steel muzzle before it turned and strode away, and Burning Desire muttered under his breath before he looked up in surprise when a voice said kindly: "Oh, don't worry about Milly. Poor brainwashed oaf doesn't even know where he is anymore, like all the other minotaurs Cupidus lured in years ago." Slowly, Burning Desire looked up to see a cerulean earth pony smiling over the frame of the bed, with his head across his forelegs and a cheerful look in his gemstone green eyes. Long, flowing blue locks spilled around features that could only be described as pretty, although when he smiled, it revealed teeth like needles. "Hey, handsome. I'm Polly." "Like... Polly want a cracker?" Burning Desire asked before he could stop himself, looking lamely up at the stallion... at least, he was about ninety percent sure it was a stallion. Polly looked less-than-thrilled at this, rolling his eyes before replying in a wry voice: "No, more like Polly-morph." The stallion smiled as electricity sparked over his body... and a moment later, a monstrous, blue-scaled drake was leaning over the bed, roaring loudly in Burning Desire's face and making the stallion yelp and skitter towards the doorway. But a moment later, Polly was back in stallion shape, laughing loudly as he stood up on the bed and grinning brightly across at the fiery male as he declared cheerfully: "Oh, you are a cutie after all, aren't you?" "So what precisely is a Lust demon doing in my bed?" Burning Desire asked grouchily as he straightened, and then he winced when Polly leapt forwards as electricity crackled over the earth pony's body before it burst apart into a swarm of bluebirds that shot forwards and swarmed past the fiery unicorn, then suddenly reunited into the shape of an earth pony again that happily pushed Burning Desire back into the room. "Cupidus just assigned me to you, as a matter of fact... I'm supposed to keep an eye on you, train you, get you acquainted with how things work around here." Polly replied happily, then he grinned before winking, electricity sparking over his body... before Burning Desire's eyes widened slowly as he realized that Polly had just transformed into a mare. "Is this better?" "Uh. I. Uh." Burning Desire continued to stare, then he shook his head hurriedly before asking quickly again: "What's a Lust demon doing here? Are you a slave like me?" Polly sulked at this, then the now-she tossed her mane and sighed loudly, replying moodily: "I wouldn't call me a slave unless you've got some rope to tie me down with, babe. Let's just say that I owe Cupidus a favor or two. "But hey, sometimes I get lucky!" Polly grinned widely, then slid forwards and sniffed delicately at Burning Desire, who winced a little before the now-mare licked her lips slowly. "Ooh, you're going to grow up big and strong... I see why Cupidus wants me to train you. You've got a lot of hunger, all that bottled up longing, helping fuel your nature... you're Passion." "Are you male or female? Because I'm not sure how attracted I'm supposed to be to you right now." Burning Desire said finally, and Polly rolled her eyes even as she laughed and shook her head. "Maybe I'm both." Polly said roguishly, earning another awkward half-wince, half-leer from Burning Desire before the Lust demon clicked her tongue quietly and smiled softly. "To be honest... I don't know anymore. You must understand a little by now, even if you're young... the constant craving, the need to get attention, to be touched, to be loved in the physical sense. It's been like that for me for centuries, and believe me, the needs just get worse and worse over time. I've done awful things to get what I need, and honey, I'll do more awful things in the future... but a little bird whispered to me that you... you want to be different." Burning Desire flinched in surprise, biting his lip, and then Polly leaned in and smiled softly, saying gently: "Don't think Cupidus doesn't know what you're up to. But that don't matter, sweetie, it shouldn't stop you from tryin'. Just remember, he has eyes and ears everywhere... but you... you understand me, while even after all the years I've spent working for him, Cupidus thinks he can still get through to me with wealth and influence. You scratch my itch, Burning Desire... I'll help you. Because you're a big handsome stud, and on top of that, oh, sweetie, there's nothing sexier than a stallion determined to change his fate." The fiery stallion shifted awkwardly... and then he looked slowly up, asking hesitantly: "How can I trust you?" Polly only smiled at this, however, closing her eyes and shrugging before she replied gently: "Because sweetie, what can Cupidus offer me that you can't top? And I do mean... top." Polly licked her lips slowly, and Burning Desire cleared his throat a few times before Polly chuckled, then closed her eyes... and in a flash of electricity, there was once more a pretty stallion standing across from him instead of a pretty mare. Slowly, Polly's eyes half-opened, his gaze sultry and his smile coy before he said softly: "Let's get down to business now, sweetie. I got a schedule to keep... handsome as you are, there are a few other servants I'm in charge of keeping in line, too." Burning Desire nodded, feeling a little relieved as the pretty stallion became more professional. The fiery stallion studied him closely all the same as he talked, knowing by now how fond many demons became of hiding their true feelings: it was like even if many of them felt they were nothing but slaves to their primal drives, on some instinctive level they were ashamed of themselves, too. They still tried to follow social order, still shaped their responses based on who they were talking to, often hid the worst of their habits unless they had lost their minds to madness or become drones slaving solely under the will of a more-powerful demon. Polly did the same: for all his teasing at first, he was lucid and brisk in explaining Burning's duties, and even when he had been coy it had been in a way that had been... playful and sensual, but not... sexual. It had been a game, like he had made a game of his own desires and needs, and vented it by acting the way he did without giving in. Burning was admittedly not pleased with the position he was given: he would no longer be tortured, but he would still be considered a slave. His room was very beautiful, but that was a reflection not on Cupidus' generosity, but his greed and his desire to show of his wealth and power: besides which, the bed was almost a solid slab of metal and the 'furnishings' were all decorative statues. What glittered was certainly gold, but none of it had any real purpose. And he probably would only have an hour or two of alone time here every day. His duties almost made him wish he was still being tortured: since he could read and write and had picked up the basics of demonic runes from Jaundice, he would be in charge of sorting contracts, watching over old accounts, and keeping everyone in the Accounting Hall supplied with ink. Cupidus was extremely strict about the last, and there was one firm rule that Burning Desire was never to forget: the accountants and bankers and lawyers and legal aides all got black ink, but Cupidus always used carmine red. Burning Desire couldn't help but ask why, and Polly had looked back and forth, then flicked his head at the doors, and they had slammed firmly shut. Then the pretty stallion had leaned in close, whispering into Burning Desire's ear: "Because traditionally, all important documents are signed in blood. But Cupidus doesn't have any blood. So he overcompensates." The fiery stallion stared at Polly, not believing him, but the pretty stallion nodded quickly a few times, saying seriously: "It's one of the two subjects that Cupidus is oh-so-very sensitive about. I've seen him order demons killed just for mentioning it! The other... well, I'm sure you know all about the Duke by now, honey." Burning Desire nodded hesitantly, feeling a few questions rising to mind... but before he could ask anything, Polly smiled and looked up, saying firmly: "Now let's talk about something else, and jump right on into teaching while I have a few minutes left to spare." The fiery stallion's questions faded away as he nodded in return, smiling a little, feeling like he could trust the Lust demon in spite of his apprehension. And as days passed, his anxieties faded and trust and fondness of the eccentric demon grew, even if Polly could sometimes be insistent about getting his – or her, in some cases – 'itches scratched,' as the Lust demon phrased it. Burning Desire also began to memorize the layout of the mansion, and he learned about the demons and other creatures that inhabited it. Mildred, for example, was a bodyguard of Cupidus, and had been lured into Helheim and servitude by one of the Greed demon's lackeys. He had no real mind of his own, he was just a large, burly set of fists and muscles that did whatever Cupidus ordered. The fiery stallion also learned that Cupidus was neither forgiving nor lenient: during Burning Desire's first day of work, he had gotten lost on the way to the Accounting Hall from the Archives, and shown up late. Without hesitation, Cupidus had calmly ordered Mildred to 'chastise,' and a moment later the fiery stallion had most of his ribs broken from a single kick. When he'd screwed up again by letting an accountant's ink run dry, Mildred had been ordered to 'punish:' Burning Desire vaguely remembered a large fist hitting him before he'd woken up in some kind of steel crate, but he was distracted from trying to figure out what had happened when the box had been electrified, and he'd realized a little late that the sides and ceiling were all spiked as he'd thrown himself around inside the cramped prison in agony and terror and panic. After more than an hour, he'd been dragged out of the punishment box by Mildred and thrown in front of Cupidus, who told him in that awful, calm way of his that next time, he would receive more than a warning. And Burning Desire, flayed and still twitching from electricity and with half-melted hooves, direly did not want to discover what Cupidus thought of as actual punishment if that was just a 'warning.' Thankfully, as a demon, Burning Desire healed fast and recovered from his ordeal within a day: unfortunately, as a demon who longed constantly for affection, excitement, and simply more, sitting in the dusty archives was hell, and spending hours mixing ink, replenishing ink, pouring ink, and checking ink levels was not much better. In fact, it was probably worse. His only escape was his time with Polly... and the few other friendly servants and demons Polly introduced him to. Burning Desire found himself beginning to mimic Polly's behavior after a few weeks with the cheery Lust demon as well, acting more extroverted and flirtatious and even simply silly, and he found that... it actually did help keep his urges in check, like venting steam out of a covered cauldron. But what hurt him all the same was his powerlessness: Cupidus was in control of the situation, and Burning Desire knew there was nothing he could do. The Greed devil always had an escort, always had bodyguards around, and never seemed to make a mistake or misstep. As a matter of fact, it was almost like he had forgotten about Burning Desire completely and moved on to some new subject, although Burning knew that the devil kept a strict record of each and every thing that he did. It drove him utterly insane to think that maybe, in spite of everything he was doing, he might end up trapped here for all eternity... demonic stock-boy to a glorified number-cruncher and his bean-counters. Days became weeks, weeks became months... soon, months became years. And it was strange, as at first Burning Desire found it both incredible and terrifying that so many years had passed since he'd fallen to Helheim... and then a year to him became nothing more than another measurement of time, and it was more bittersweet than it was scary. What was scary was how fast things seemed to go... how used he had gotten to the routine of work, work, work, train, with the occasional fling or punishment thrown in to spice up the monotony. He wondered some days what had happened to Morning Glory, and hoped she was... somewhere better. He'd tried to search for her through his scrying techniques, but he'd never seen her, and he hoped that was a good sign. He still loved her, probably more than he knew he should... just like he still cared about his father, even Radiant Beacon. It hadn't been her fault, after all... But he didn't know anything about what was going on in the mortal world. Information about what the demons called Midgard was hard to acquire... the demon lords and nobles liked to keep that to themselves unless they were sending servants out on a job. Burning Desire thought it was probably because so many new demons and prisoners missed their mortal lives... the suspense of not knowing if your family was alive, if anyone remembered your name, if your city, country, world even still existed... it was awful. This was the subject on Burning Desire's mind as he grumbled under his breath, using a hammer to smash rubies into tiny pieces. The glittering red rubble was then fed into the ugly machine sitting a short distance down the table: a long metal tube full of grinding teeth that would reduce the rubble to almost-invisible dust. This dust was then poured back out of the tube and added to the mixture of crushed flower petals and berry juice, then all swirled together with a smelly substance that was used to give it the right consistency. Making the stupid red ink for Cupidus was one of his most frustrating jobs, because he had to hurriedly do it in between all his other work, and Cupidus had the barrel of red ink checked every single day. If the barrel ever dropped below a certain level, Burning Desire was severely punished. And he was not really in the mood to have the lower parts of his legs cut off again today, then forced to experience the oh-so-''wonderful'' sensation of those severed body parts being reattached. Burning Desire shivered and shook his head, and then he swung the hammer down... and yelled in frustration as he smashed his own hoof, cursing and raising it quickly. He growled at the deep impression the spiked hammer had left, and the red blood dripping slowly down his foreleg... The demon frowned as something whispered in memory... and then his eyes slowly widened before he turned to look at the mixture. And before he could convince himself this was a horrible idea, he hurriedly stuck his hoof over the glass and let his blood spill into the mixture. An hour later, Burning Desire brought a new jar of red ink to Cupidus, who ignored him as always. The demon felt nervous as he carefully used telekinesis to switch the mostly-empty jar with the new one while the devil checked numbers in his accounting book, and then he began to turn away... and winced, shrinking his head between his shoulders, when the Greed devil said quietly: "Wait." Burning Desire looked lamely over his shoulder as Cupidus leaned forwards, orange eyes studying him intently... and then the stallion watched in what felt like slow motion as the Greed devil dipped his quill into the ink, gave a practiced swirl of the instrument as it withdrew, and then touched it to the notebook in front of him. And then everything resumed its normal rhythm, and Cupidus said quietly: "I have an important meeting tomorrow. Finish your duties for today, and then find Polarity and help him and the others set up the meeting room. It must be perfect." Burning Desire nodded awkwardly, beginning to turn away... and then he halted with a wince when Cupidus spoke his name again. This time, there was something sharp in the tone, something almost accusatory, and Burning Desire looked nervously over his shoulder again as Cupidus picked up the ink well, turning it slowly back and forth as his orange eyes studied it. Then the devil gave a sound of contempt and slammed the inkwell down, returning his sharp gaze to Burning Desire as the stallion wilted. "This is five inches in height, not five and a half. Do not make this mistake again... you are only saved by the grace that I cannot risk your productivity being hindered by punishment today." "Touchy, touchy." Burning muttered before he could stop himself, and when Cupidus glared at him, the stallion spun and bolted out of the Accounting Hall, and he didn't stop running until he reached the supplies storeroom. But the moment the door slammed behind him, Burning Desire fell back against the wooden frame, and couldn't stop himself from laughing in stupid amazement. Maybe he had just found a way to get out of here after all. It would require patience and time and effort... but... if he was lucky and careful, he might just be able to strike back at Cupidus for everything the bastard had done to him. Top ↑ Category:Transcript Category:Story